


When Two Are One

by daikuun



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst, Angst and Feels, Anxiety, Anxiety Attacks, Anxiety Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, Drinking, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Everyone Has Issues, Everyone Is Gay, Everyone Needs A Hug, Excessive Drinking, Explicit Language, Family Drama, Flashbacks, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Homophobic Language, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Mental Illness, Nerd!Kuroo, Past Child Abuse, Past Drug Use, Punk, Recreational Drug Use, Slow Burn, Smoking, nerd, punk!Hinata
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-25
Updated: 2016-07-28
Packaged: 2018-07-26 10:00:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7569838
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daikuun/pseuds/daikuun
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kuroo lived a simple life. Wake up, get ready, go to his classes, go to work, then sleep. Rinse and repeat; it gets boring. When a cute leather clad and pierced boy knocks him over in the local museum, he is definitely intrigued and doesn't mind letting go of his responsibility ridden life for a night. The duo go on a pretty awesome adventure, but Kuroo isn't expecting his world to do a damn back flip.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Dinosaurs Galore

**Author's Note:**

> I thought this up in the shower and it seems like it would be fun to write so here I am. Hope you enjoy! 
> 
> (I'll be editing each chapter a day or so after I upload it because I'm trash and my patience wears thin fast, forgive me.)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oooh, I am so excited about this! I have a lot of plans for the future and I'm really happy about how this chapter turned out!

Excitement coursed through his body as he stared up at the huge display of big cats. Fangs and glass eyes gleamed brightly in the museum lighting and it made Kuroo smile. He always loved coming to the animal exhibit. It was a thrill to see all of the stuffed mammals so up close. Obviously it seemed like a lame thing to others, but he was mesmerized every single time he could spot a new animal. After spending a few minutes just waddling around, grinning up at the creatures, he decided it was a perfect time to go look at the fossil collection the museum was locally famous for.

It was maybe his millionth time walking under the sign that said, 'Dinosaurs Galore', but he still couldn't control the giddiness he felt all over. With his head held high, looking off to the side, it was impossible to see someone walking right into him. It sure as hell was a surprise to hit the ground and have the breath knocked right out of him after the collision. A moment later he was trying to collect himself when a hand was shoved towards him.

"Yo, I'm sorry 'bout that. Didn't see you there." Said the one who had bumped into him. It was accompanied with an apologetic smile. Kuroo gladly took the strangers hand and was hoisted to his feet, his eyes blown wide behind his glasses. Honestly, Kuroo had a hard time not gawking at the other. The guy in front of him was dressed in such a get-up that his stomach was doing somersaults. The bright hair, crap ton of piercings, leather jacket, ripped jeans, and combat boots were sort of scary. Scary, but hot. A clearing of the throat snapped him out of his awkward observing session and he noticed he was still gripping the guys hand tightly. Kuroo instantly let go and adjusted his shirt, staring at the ground for a few moments before answering.

"It's fine. I wasn't really looking either. So it's all good." Kuroo could barely ignore the way his hands were shaking and how his heart was pounding in his chest. The entire situation was already uncomfortable, but when he realized that he made a total fool of himself in front of the handful of people wandering around the dinosaur exhibits by literally falling on his ass because he ran into someone, things seemed a thousand times worse. "Dude, you okay?" The red head asked, his voice edged with concern as he looked the other up and down.

"Yeah, yeah. Bye," and he was already turning on his heel towards the exit.

"Hey! Wait, my name's Hinata." Kuroo stopped before running a hand through his messy hair. He had knocked into this Hinata and he was being so rude by just walking away. Reluctantly, he turned back around and gave a shy smile.

"Nice to meet you, Hinata. I'm Kuroo." He held out a hand for the other to shake. Receiving a smirk and a questioning look at his hand, he nearly pulled it away before Hinata took hold of his hand and shook it firmly. His hand was soft and warm. And really small. The thought made him chuckle as he looked down at the red head.

"Well, Kuroo, wanna go check out some new fern fossils that just came in last week?" A nod and a few yards later they were staring down at the plexiglass case that held the interesting looking fossils. Kuroo had seen things like these before, but these were still pretty cool. While the shorter male gazed intently at the sign by the display, Kuroo wondered how a guy looking like that liked things like this. The raven haired man wasn't always quick to judge people by their appearances but he knew a lot of people who had the same aura as the other. They were up to no good half the time. Still, he was swept up in the adrenaline that coursed through him, just by being next to someone who looked like a bad boy. 

Kuroo cringed internally at the term and just shrugged it off before looking back over at the ferns. "So. Do you come here often?" He questioned, his voice low and it was tinged with slight nervousness.

Hinata shook his head, "Not like every week, or whatever, just occasionally. What about you?" Kuroo nodded in reply and he heard the others clothing rustle a bit. 

"You go to college, yeah?" The red head cocked his head towards the taller and eyed him up. 

"Mhm, University of Tokyo. You?" He exchanged glances with Hinata and instantly turned his attention to the sign. "Just the community college a few streets down." His voice was soft as he finally took a step back and put both of his hands behind his head.

"Yo, wanna go do something? I already looked through this place like three times today." Kuroo was taken by surprise at the question. Why would he wanna hang out with someone like Kuroo? The taller was wary of the others intentions, thinking for a moment. He had his cellphone, pepper spray (thanks, Bokuto), and it was a a sure thing that he could take on the latter if it was needed. What does he have to lose? Slowly nodding, he replied with a simple yeah, okay and they were out on their way.

The two walked down the pathway from the museum entrance and soon were on the sidewalk. Hinata stuffed his hands into his jacket's pockets with his head held high, while Kuroo kept his gaze low, his fingers tangling in front of him. Just because he agreed to this, doesn't mean he can't still freak the fuck out that he's actually doing it.

"We can go get some food if you want. I know a pizza place a few blocks up where my friend works at. It's pretty fucking great and I can get us a pizza for free." Hinata bumped his shoulder into Kuroo's and he gave him a wink. Kuroo tensed up at the sudden touch and Hinata seemed to notice because he made sure there were an extra few inches in between them as they walked down the sidewalk.

"That sounds good. Bokuto and I always go out on the weekends to get pizza and then watch some movies. Last weekend we watched Tangled and ate so much pizza that Bokuto nearly puked. It was so funny, man." Kuroo rambled, little chuckles escaped his lips as he spoke, fond of the recent memory. Hinata listened while giving him a side glance. Thankfully Kuroo had finally started to loosen up a bit, his anxiety subsiding for at least the current moment. It was a good thing too, because honestly if he hadn't relaxed soon, he would have had to excuse himself and give the other a rain check. He didn't want to have a damn anxiety attack in front of this guy. If anything, though, he would have called Kenma and he would have calmed him down easily. His friends knew how to deal with his anxiety attacks, but that was only after he had struggled on his own for a long time, hesitant to finally tell them what to do in those types of situations.

They continued the small talk until they were close to the pizzeria and Hinata held the door open for Kuroo. "Dude! Did ya miss me?" Hinata called out, ignoring the looks from customers quietly eating their food.

"Shut up, dumbass." Came a shout-whisper from behind the counter. The man that the command came from was tall, had black hair, and honestly a pretty face as well. Even though he was scolding like a parent to a child. The red head grinned widely before holding up a fist. Kageyama, as the name tag stated, knocked his knuckles against Hinata's in a sharp and painful looking way. Hinata yelped and held his hand to his heart. "Why do this to me, baby? I love you!"

"I swear to god, I'm gonna beat your ass if you call me baby again." Kageyama snapped before adding, "I don't love you, idiot." Kuroo's eyes widened at the exchange. He would rudely joke around with Bokuto sometimes, but never to this extent. It sort of made him uneasy.

"You do love me, Kaggy. You love me so much. That's why you're gonna give me and my friend here a pizza. For freeee." He drawled out the last word, pointing his thumb at the man standing slightly behind him.

"What the hell, Hinata. I got you a free pizza two days ago. Pay for it yourself." Kageyama gave a look towards Kuroo which he couldn't really read, but he spoke up nonetheless, "I can pay, it's fine. How much for a large..?" He looked to Hinata for a topping suggestion. 

"Pepperoni!" He noticed Hinata was rocking on the heels of his feet as he shot Kageyama a glare. "See? Someone loves me," he stated before he turned to Kuroo and said, "I'll pay you back, dude. I just don't got cash on me right now."

"It's fine, you don't need to pay me back." A light blush dusted his features but he was already looking away. Damn his shyness.

"This dumbass never has cash on him. He's a broke bum. I'm surprised Suga lets him live with us. Also, it's 10 bucks, man." Kageyama laughed before shouting the order to the kitchen and taking the bill, putting it in the register.

"Oh, shut the hell up. I contribute as much as you two do. I am a working member of this beautiful society, shit face!" Hinata bellowed, but jumped as soon as the manager who was in the back screamed for him to stop messing around. It was clear Hinata was well known here, or else they would have been kicked out as soon as they walked in. Kuroo smiled shyly at the shorter, thinking it's pretty endearing how he looked and acted like a little chihuahua. Personally Kuroo was a cat person, but he did love dogs a lot as well.

The raven haired man couldn't really give any input as the two continued to clash, so he pulled out his phone and decided to text Kenma with his whereabouts. He unlocked the device and opened up the texting app.

 _5:06 pm_ **To Kenma** : Hey, Kens. I'm out getting food. Dunno when I'll be getting home. I'll pick you up some pocky and strawberry milk, though.

 _5:07 pm_ **From K** **enma** : k

Kuroo rolled his eyes and pocketed his phone, not really expecting much more from the other. That was quick, so he stared down at his intertwined fingers and flipped his connected hands back and fourth. As the two bickered, he didn't pay much attention, but he did catch a certain sentence that made his eyes widen a bit.

"Stop trying to pick up guys at weird places, moron. It's really distasteful. Even for your standards." Hinata was trying to pick him up? He grit his teeth and furrowed his brow, ready to take his exit. "Um-" He tried to mumble, but the pizza was already being carried out in a box and was handed to the shortest of the three. "Thank you, Asahi!" He chirped before sticking his tongue out and holding up an obscene finger as he started towards the door. "Let's go, Kuroo. We can eat somewhere classier!" He said loud enough to elicit a disgusted noise from Kageyama.

Kuroo followed, his fingers still laced together. "Where are we going?"

"There's this abandoned factory like, uh, 20 minutes that way and it has a great view of the city," he pointed ahead of them, making sure the pizza was still secured in his hand. "We gotta hurry before this gets cold." Hinata picked up the pace and Kuroo followed suit, thinking silently.

Should he really be doing this? What if Kageyama was right and Hinata was just trying to pick him up? That would make him so violently uncomfortable. Relationships, flings, whatever were never his thing. He'd always rather put his education before any of that. And education in itself was so time consuming. This was one of those rare weekends where he wasn't swamped with school work or his job. Kuroo was spending his extremely precious free time with a hyper, delinquent looking guy who had a mouth on him. A grin made it's way onto his face as the realization hit him. As long as the shorter didn't try and hit on him, he had no problem spending time with him.

It was fun so far, and he did a lot more in the span of half an hour than he does in a normal damn month. His life was quiet. Mundane. Boring, even. He wasn't complaining because he was gifted with a brain that absorbed information well and had parents who could afford such a great education and place to live for him. But he craved something more. More than on a single occasion, he tried to expand his friend group beyond the guys he already knew, but it always crashed and burned because his anxiety would kick in at the most random times and it drove people away. It was hard to find someone who could handle him when he's at his worst. And god, he was at his worst a lot more than he was at his best. It was a struggle, but he managed just fine with the friends he had at the moment. Hopefully he wouldn't fuck things up with Hinata.

"Here we are! You better hold your socks because this view might knock them off." At that, Kuroo could barely manage to hold back his obnoxious and ugly laugh that he absolutely hated. The joke wasn't even funny. Just so cheesy that he couldn't handle not laughing. After composing himself, he glanced up to see Hinata laughing along with him, a huge grin on his face. It made Kuroo's belly do flip after flip. He blamed it on his anxiety. Not the fact that that grin was so fucking beautiful. A beautiful, non-judging expression Hinata had on his face and it seemed irresistible.

"Cute." He heard Hinata mumble to himself as they both walked into the building. Kuroo coughed, having an excuse to cover his face, and the blush coating it. He shouldn't be blushing like a schoolgirl over a simple compliment; he did pretend to not hear it.The factory didn't seem like it was abandoned long ago, maybe a year or two. A minute or so later, they were nearly at the top of the stairs and the door to the roof came into view. Hinata opened up the door and held it open for Kuroo before they both walked over to the edge of the roof, looking out over the city beneath them.

"Dude, have some pizza." The red head offered after he had opened up the box. Kuroo thanked the other as he took a slice and bit into the delicious cheese, sauce, and perfectly toasted crust. "Wow, this is awesome." He mumbled with his mouth full, already in the process of taking another bite. Hinata smiled and took out a slice for himself, biting in greedily, plopping down on the ground, his legs spread open so the box lay between them. Taking another bite, he patted the floor next to him so Kuroo got the clue and sat down next to him. They sat in silence as they ate their pizza. Slice after slice, they stared at the life going on all around them.

After Hinata's third slice, he patted the front of his jacket, searching for something. A moment later he pulled out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. Placing a cigarette between his lips, his lit it and set the box and lighter to the side. Kuroo watched him inhale and then exhale the smoke, his nose tingling just a little bit. It intrigued Kuroo. He wasn't into smoking at all, but something about watching the red head puff on the smoke made it seem sort of attractive. Or was he noting yet again how attractive Hinata really was, not the cigarette? Kuroo blushed for the millionth time today and realized he was gawking at the other.

"Want it?" Hinata asked suddenly, holding out his hand for Kuroo to take a hold of it. Kuroo didn't want to seem lame, so he quickly grabbed it and put the filter to his lips. He took a deep inhale and instantly choked, coughing violently, the cigarette nearly tumbling to the ground. Hinata laughed, patting his back as the taller tried to regain himself. Kuroo handed the cigarette back over and nearly fell on his side.

"Jesus Christ," he groaned, wiping his forehead before turning himself a bit towards Hinata who was still laughing. Kuroo flinched away from the hand that was still resting against his back, the contact making him want to jump off the building. It was nothing against Hinata, Kuroo just really couldn't handle being touched by many people. Hinata put his hand down so it rested on his own thigh. He puffed smoke out from his lips while twirling the cigarette around his fingers. "You free the rest of the night?" Hinata wondered out loud, stealing a glance from the other.

Kuroo shrugged before nodding. "You wanna hang some more?" The shorter responded with a nod of his own head before his eyes lit up. "We should go get something to drink and the rest should be a surprise." Hinata started to bounce in place, excitement plastered on his face. Kuroo never smoked, but he did enjoy getting drunk as shit with his bros from time to time. "Sure, sounds awesome!" Kuroo finished up the rest of the pizza and they were on their way to the liquor store. Kuroo kicked his anxiety under the rug for now. That shit will not ruin his night. He wanted to live a little.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I won't edit this for a couple of days because I'm lazy and it took a week to write this!! Be warned, very slight angst and some somewhat cute flirting goes on in this chapter. ;^)

"Really, man, I owe you big time. I'll pay you back as soon as soon as I can." The red head was still going on about how he felt bad that he couldn't put in his share for the alcohol they were currently drinking. "It's fine, I told you. Just drink," Kuroo responded with a grin, tipping his beer can in the direction of the pack laying next to them. They were at a park now, ready to drink themselves silly.

Kuroo knew it wasn't such a good idea to get drunk with a guy he just met, but he thought of it as if it's just like going to a club. You get shit faced and interact with a bunch of people. They hadn't been completely alone besides at the factory, so he felt okay at the moment. There weren't a bunch of people at the park, just a few people walking around here and there. The pair sat at the base of a tree as they spoke and drank. It was fun. Kuroo liked the way Hinata's face tinged pink as he took sip after sip. The man that sat besides him made his heart race every time one of his hands brushed past his thigh. It was obviously the alcohol that allowed the light touches to not bother him. He didn't know it they were intentional or not, but it didn't matter right now.

They finished the pack in about half an hour, it being split in half. Kuroo wasn't a light weight, but after four beers, his vision was slightly off and he felt dizzy. Hinata didn't seem as phased, but his behavior was different. He was more giggly and blushy. It made Kuroo want to hug him. He didn't. The two finally got up and threw out the trash, heading towards wherever Hinata had decided to take him. "Where are we going?" Kuroo asked simply, his eyes half lidded and cheeks pink.

"Just a store." He replied without a second thought. Kuroo wondered why they were going to a store instead of doing something cool, but he just shrugged it off and walked side by side with the other. A few minutes later with some small talk, they arrived at the super market. Kuroo hasn't been in it before, but he did pass by it on occasion when he went for walks. They entered and Hinata pushed a shopping car along with him. The taller followed after him before whispering, "Hey, wanna get some ice cream?" Hinata gave him a look and smirked. "Why are you whispering?" He asked, but only received a shrug and shake of the head.

Hinata pushed the cart into an empty isle after looking around for a few moments. "Get in the cart." He chirped out, a dazzling smile coating his features. Kuroo gave him a look of displeasure. "What? Why?"

"Just do it! It'll be fun." The shorter insisted, moving the cart closer to Kuroo. "Fine. Don't let me fall, I swear to god." Kuroo warned, amusement lacing his voice. After some severe struggling and help from Hinata, he finally got in the shopping cart and sat with his knees pulled up to his chest.

In an instant Hinata was running down the isle at full speed, laughing as he did so. Kuroo held on tightly to the sides of the cart, a screech erupting from his lips. "Hinata!" He shouted, feeling the cart start to turn and swerve to the side. Kuroo was for sure going to die. If there was even a slight chance of him not dying, they would sure get in a lot of trouble for running around the store screaming. Kuroo heard nothing else but his own shouts and Hinata's laughing. The cart nearly clipped the displays at the end of each isle. It was fucking outrageous and they were so close to crashing into someone. It was embarrassing because literally everyone was looking at them with wide eyes. Little kids pointed and laughed at the girlish scream Kuroo was emitting.

An employee was already running after them, trying to get them to stop. "Hinata! Watch out!" Kuroo yelled a bit too late. In a blink of an eye the cart smashed into a huge display of paper towels and Kuroo went flying. Thankfully he fell into a pile of the paper towels instead of cracking his skull on the tile floor. He looked up in a daze to see Hinata with his jaw dropped and eyes the size of plates. The look on his face made Kuroo erupt into a mess of laughter. "Oh my god, that was fucking awesome!" Kuroo said through his fit of giggles, still laying on the soft pile. "Kuroo, we gotta go." Hinata said quickly, fumbling to get to Kuroo and help him up. He grabbed the fallen man's hand and they booked it out of the store, a few employees racing to catch them.

The two laughed and laughed as they ran away, hand in hand. The whole experience was absolutely terrifying but it made Kuroo's heart race and adrenaline pump through his veins. He was alive. It might've seemed childish and stupid, but he's never felt better. Hinata pulled his hand away so he can lean on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. Kuroo did the same, his chest heaving. They were about a block away from the store and safe from any angry employees. The red head started to cough, tears forming in the corners of his eyes as he stared up at the sky to try and relieve the burning sensation caught in his throat and lungs.

"Are you okay?" Kuroo asked, placing a gentle hand on Hinata's back, rubbing slow circles on it soothingly. Hinata looked back at him and smiled after a few seconds of retching. "Yeah, I'm fine. Wanna go prank Kaggy? He's gonna get off work in," he pulled out his phone and noted the time, "like an hour. We can go to our apartment and scare the shit out of him." Kuroo was already nodding with a huge grin on his face.

"Hell yes, let's go. But I think we should rest for a little bit right now." He noticed that he hadn't taken his hand away yet, but left it. Who cared? Hinata nodded back at him and took a few more minutes to collect himself. The alcohol was really starting to kick in now and he didn't want to throw up after all the running and hacking up a lung or two. When he was fully alright, he stood up and adjusted his jacket. "Let's go, dude," and they were off towards Hinata's shared apartment.

Kuroo was able to be a lot more chummy with beer in his system. He always was friendly and giggly when he drank. "Dude, okay, so once Bokuto and I sneaked into an indoor public pool at night and," he had to stop because he was laughing so hard. Kuroo guffawed ridiculously as he continued. "And a janitor caught us, trying to chase us out. Bo ended up accidentally shoving him in the pool and when he got out, he called the fucking cops. We booked it out of there in only boxers. I left one of my shoes!" Hinata was nearly on the ground, laughing.

"What the fuck? Seriously?" He managed to get out around the loud giggles. Kuroo nodded, clutching a hand over his belly. They had already arrived at the apartment, but Kuroo had remembered the hilarious story and just had to tell his new friend. After a few more minutes of messing around outside, they finally entered the run down looking building. Kuroo didn't want to be an asshole, but the interior was just as bad as the outside. The taller was so used to lavish and expensive residences, it was a shock to see cracks lining the walls, paint chipping, and the floor so dirty and scuffed, it looked sort of scary.

This was sort of a bad neighborhood. What did he expect? He wouldn't let this place warp his views of Hinata, though. Where he lived and why he did so was none of Kuroo's business. He was here to prank someone and have fun.

Hinata led the way up tall sets of stars, until they were on the fifth floor. They waddled quietly through the hallway. Well, as quietly as two drunk men could. As soon as they were outside of the door, Hinata unlocked it and they made their way inside. The apartment was snug. Kuroo wondered out three people could live in a place so small. Oddly enough though, the interior was pretty snazzy. There was light decorations here and there, even some plants scattered around the entrance way and living room. A few things like books and loose clothing items were littered across the floor, but besides that, the apartment was really nice. A lot smaller and less sophisticated than his and Kenma's, but it was homely and cute.

"It's time to get to business." Hinata laughed evilly, rubbing his hands together. After they kicked off their shoes, they walked into the living room and the shorter told Kuroo to sit on the couch while he rummaged for some stuff. Kuroo did as he was told and plopped onto the plush cushions. He looked around and noted a few pictures. Most were of Hinata and Kageyama and another man he was assuming to be the Suga he had heard about before.

The man had delicate silver hair and a kind smile. He was pretty and hot at the same time. Piercings and tattoos were always a weakness of Kuroo's. That reminded him that all three had plenty of their own. All three men were incredibly attractive and suddenly Kuroo felt self conscious. He looked so different from them. The only wild thing about him was his hair that always stuck up no matter how much he tried to put it down. Kuroo had always wanted piercings and tattoos, though. He just didn't want to disappoint his parents and upset them, which he knew he would do if he tried to stick a piece of metal through his nose or get something permanent sketched onto his skin. 

He laid his head on the back of the couch and stared up at the ceiling, waiting for Hinata to come back out. There were some random noises emitting from another room and Kuroo tried not to question it. Suddenly Hinata exploded out of the kitchen with a couple of items in his arms. "Okay, so first we're gonna cling wrap the front door and then we're gonna put butter on the floor by the door. Theeeen, we're gonna put on these masks and scare the shit out of him." Hinata said excitedly, already pulling on the cling wrap to release it from the roll. 

"What about Suga? What if he comes home and gets pranked instead of Kageyama?" Kuroo worried, eyeing the masks. One was big foot and the other was a sea creature. "Nah, he's with his boyfriend. Dai always sweeps away my dear Suga every weekend. Sometimes I nearly shit myself when I see a grey bastard making breakfast in the morning because I rarely see him!" Hinata cackled, running to the door to start plastering it with the clear plastic. Kuroo got up and went after him to assist. In less than five minutes, the door was successfully covered in random stripes and it was time to butter up the floor.

Kuroo threw a few chunks of butter on the hardwood floor and used a bare toe to push them around while Hinata crouched down to rub the butter stick in quick lines in front of him. They slowly finished up and stood side by side to admire their work. "He's gonna kill me. Better pray you can jump over this shit and run faster than him." The bright haired man said with a smirk, looking up at the other. Kuroo laughed, but honestly he was slightly nervous. What if Kageyama started to hate him after this? He wouldn't want to pit two friends against each other. "Dude, we gotta put the masks on and hide, he's gonna be home any minute!" Hinata shouted, sprinting to grab the big foot mask and enter the kitchen. Kuroo picked up the other mask and quickly made his way into the kitchen.

He couldn't help but giggle as he saw a short big foot squat behind the kitchen table. Hinata hushed him and beckoned him over. In an instant he was squatting right besides Hinata, the sea creature mask pulled over his head. They waited in silence for Kageyama to come home. Hinata's phone beeped and he pulled it out to see who had texted him. "Yo, Kaggy is coming up the stairs now. Get ready, man." He warned, his voice muffled by the thick plastic and faux fur. Kuroo nodded and his heart started to race. What the fuck was he doing? Hiding in a kitchen with a man he met just a few hours ago, masks over their faces, about to prank someone. It was absolutely hilarious to think about. He tried to control his giggles as he heard the door being unlocked.

"Hinata, I-" Was all Kageyama could say before there were sudden crinkles and a strangled cry. "What the _fuck?_ " Kageyama screamed and then there was a loud thud.

"Oh my fucking god, I'm gonna beat your ass." Kuroo's eyes widened as he heard thundering stomps enter the living room. Hinata looked over at him and nodded, getting up to sneak out of the kitchen. Kuroo followed suit and as the other held up three fingers, he quickly ticked each one down before shouting at the top of his lungs, jumping out into view. Kuroo jumped out as well and yelled, throwing his hands around wildly. Kageyama screeched, fell to the ground, and scrambled to get away.

Hinata laughed, hunched over, the mask falling off his face in mere seconds. Kuroo barked out insane sounding cackles as Kageyama started to realize what had just happened. "I swear to god, you fucking dumbass. You better run before I strangle you!" He growled, getting up slowly. That stopped their laughing. Kuroo threw off his mask and the two men gave each other terrified looks of dismay. Hinata was already sprinting for his life towards the door. Kuroo was stunned, just staring at the space which previously held his new buddy. "Kuroo!" The red head called as he jumped over the pathway full of butter smears.

"I don't care who you are, I'll still kick your ass." Kageyama said, his eyes deadly as he moved to lunge at Kuroo. Instantly he ran to the front door and leaped over the butter, his mind racing. This was the second time he had run away from someone today. How lovely. Kageyama sprinted right after it, making the jump over the butter and out the door just had the other two did. 

"Even if I don't get you now, you're gonna come back sooner or later, dumbass!" Kuroo heard from behind him as he swung open the stairs door and nearly flew down the stairs as he missed the first step going down. Hinata was already at the bottom, waiting for him, he presumed so he bolted as fast as he could down the what seemed like millions of steps. "Hinata!" The raven haired man cried out, signaling for the other to finally exit the building, Kuroo right on his tail. They continued to run and run as fast as they could, side by side.

After a century of sprinting, they both stopped and prayed that Kageyama had ended the wild chase and gone back to the apartment. Hinata was then on the floor, laughing his ass off. His face turned so bright red, Kuroo was wondering if his brain was getting enough oxygen with how much he was laughing. "Fuck! Did you see the look on his face? Shit, my stomach! Cramp! Cramp!" Hinata howled, rolling around the patch of grass besides the sidewalk. Kuroo stared down at the man incredulously, eyes wide with shock. In an instant was on the ground, too, belting out a hearty laugh. They both cackled together until they had a painful stitch in each of their sides and gulping for air. 

"Dude, that was fucking awesome. You're pretty damn cool." The red head commented, looking up at the sky above them. Kuroo noted that it was well into the evening, borderline nighttime. The moon shown dully behind whispy clouds. "Thank you, Hinata. Really. I haven't done anything this crazy in a while." The mentioned man glanced over at the other. "Why? You're like, so young. You should live everyday like it's your last, man. That's how I roll and I'm doing fucking great." The bitterness engulfing the final four words made Kuroo meet his eyes, and he nearly had a heart attack right then and there.

Hinata's eyes were so sparkly and captivating, he forgot what Hinata had asked him. There was something deep in those big brown eyes that send a twang of pain through Kuroo. What even was it? Helplessness? Sorrow? Anger? Kuroo couldn't put his finger on it and he didn't realize he was staring until Hinata cleared his throat and looked back up at the sky, pulling a pack of cigarettes out of his jacket pocket. He did just what he had before and lit it, putting it up to his lips, and inhaling deeply. The raven haired man was a blushing mess as he tried to focus on the beautiful night sky like the other was.

A comfortable silence fell over them as Kuroo thought. He didn't answer Hinata's question. Mostly because Hinata's eyes distracted him, but also because he truly didn't know how to answer. Was he willing to open up so easily to a stranger? Even if they somewhat bonded through out the day, that doesn't mean he should trust the other with his personal life. Some cool punk guy really wouldn't want to hear about Kuroo's sob story. He was just a privileged, anxious man who always felt like he could never live up to his parent's expectations. Kuroo truly was never going to be good enough and he knew that. Obviously severe anxiety and panic attacks came along with the realizations, but he still let it settle it. 

Knowing you will never really make your parents proud no matter how much you tried dampens the mood nearly all the time. That never stopped him from trying. Excellent grades. Intelligent, successful friends. Well paying job. Outstanding social skills. No, cross the last one off. Kuroo was an absolute clumsy ape when it came to talking to others. His pulse would pick up and he would both physically and metaphorically stumble over himself if someone tried to interact with him. It had been a shame when he fell off the stage when he was accepting an award for winning the school science fair for coming up with a Chemistry demonstration because everyone was looking at him and waiting for a speech. Also the time when he made a fool of himself in front of his father's boss when he slipped trying to bow properly. Oh, and the other multiple times when he tried to flirt with someone and he came off as an idiot pervert. 

The list could go on and on, but it pained him to keep on going down it. So he spoke up. "I'd be even more of disgrace to my family if I did what I really wanted." Saying it didn't cause the weight of the world to lift off his shoulders. If anything, it made him feel worse. He didn't mean to come off as a loser. But that's what he was. A scared loser. Too scared to do what he pleases because he knew it wouldn't please his parents. "Lighten up." Hinata said lazily around the smoke between his lips. Kuroo pulled himself onto his elbows and frowned at the other man.

"What?" He asked, his voice raised in threatening anger. "You heard me. And relax, Jesus. I fucking hate high strung people." The snap in his voice made Kuroo's hands sweat. _What the fuck is this guys problem?_

"Listen. Life is too short to keep on stressing about stupid shit. Have fun. Do stuff you normally wouldn't do. Get out of your comfort zone and don't regret it. You don't want to regret wasting your life away being sad. It's not okay to be sad. Or stressed out. Or just feeling fucked up in general. Dude, I haven't known you for long, but you seem like such a great guy. Funny, entertaining as fuck, nice, sorta awkward but that doesn't matter to me," Hinata flicked some ashes off of his cigarette and shot a look at Kuroo. A chuckle escaped his lips before he puffed on some smoke. "Pretty hot, too." Kuroo flushed at this, turning his head to look anywhere but Hinata.

"What I'm getting at is that you're a decent man. Don't let your family make you feel like you should never make yourself happy. You think I let my family dictate my life?" Kuroo shook his head. "That's right. Fuck no. I don't let anyone control my life but me. Well, Suga sorta forces me to act 'civil' sometimes, but that's it. Look at me. I'm a short red head with tattoos and piercings. I stick out like a sore thumb here. Even that shit doesn't make me change how I look or act. I do what I want. You should too." Hinata finished off with a sigh, looking sort of exhausted by talking so much. Now that Kuroo could get a real good, detailed look at him, he seemed so tired. So done and so tired. Kuroo didn't notice it before when he had looked at him the countless other times, but it was super fucking sad. What were the underlining meanings to the things he said?

"You don't understand. I have to make them proud. They deserve it for all that they've done for me. It's the least I can do." Hinata didn't respond and it frustrated Kuroo. "I get it's fucking boring and I'm so uncool. I hate living like this. I do the same routine every single day. I only get out and live a little when I'm with Bokuto. And I can't even see him as much as I wish I could. I'm smart, I'm doing amazingly in school, I have the approval of everyone's parents but my own. Just because I'm fucking socially awkward. I can't handle much. I can't do much without fucking up. That's why I have to work so hard and make up for all the time's I've seen the shame written all over their face's. I'm a disgrace because I have anxiety and no medicine works, no quacks help. I'm stuck like this." Kuroo was breathing heavily and his hands were balled up in the grass beneath him. Now that felt good. To finally let go of his insecurities. To a stranger who he doesn't know yet if he wants to continue hanging out with yet. Well, he was pretty sure he wanted to hang out with him some more.

Kuroo flopped to lay flat on the ground and grabbed the nearly finished cigarette, inhaling the smoke in a matter of moments. This time he didn't nearly vomit. It stung and was uncomfortable, but he did it anyway. Hinata laughed lowly, nudging him in the shoulder with a loosely held fist. "Feel better, yeah?" Kuroo nodded and finished off the smoke quickly, putting it out, and sliding it into one of his jeans pockets. Littering wasn't his thing and it made him chuckle at how dorky that was. "I do feel better. Hey, give me your phone number."

"A little direct, are we?" Hinata gave him a wink but held out a hand so he could get Kuroo's phone and input his number. Kuroo pulled out his phone and unlocked it, handing it over with a new contact opened up. The red head quickly typed in his name and number, giving it back with a smirk.

"Oh be quiet, you've been a little more than direct this entire time." How he could flirt back so easily almost scared him. Why was he so comfortable around this guy? They've known each other for just a few mere hours and it usually takes him weeks to months to finally get comfortable with a select few.

"Dude, I think it's time we go our separate ways 'cause it's getting pretty dark out and you should go get your beauty rest." Hinata said simply, already getting up. Kuroo followed and smiled shyly, a light blush coating his cheeks. "Alright. I'll text you." The other nodded and began walking off towards where they had previously ran from.

"Be careful with Kageyama! See you around." Kuroo called towards him, waving like a complete moron. "See you, lanky." Kuroo's blush got darker and he quickly started to walk towards his own apartment. Which thankfully he knew the way to, but it would take a good half hour to walk all the way back. As he walked back to his place, he thought to text Kenma he was coming home. He looked at the promises of snacks and groaned. Not wanting to upset his friend, he knew he would have to go to a convenience store and pick them up. On his way, his mind was swirling with a shit ton of different thoughts. No matter how much he tried to push away the feeling, it really did seem like things were going to change after this. As long as he kept on hanging out with Hinata. There was a huge smile on his face as he walked down the sidewalk. _Hopefully things would really change for the better._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They are pretty out of character nearly half the time but listen! Their mental illnesses sometimes makes them act differently than they normally do. Kuroo acts decently canonly when he's with Bo and Kenma, and you can see he opened up quite a bit when he got comfy with the sunshine man. His anxiety just makes him weary and nervous, the side effects of having anxiety. I don't want to spoil much but from the tags you can assume someone has bipolar disorder. I'm still trying to figure out which type Hinata will have, but at the moment in the story he's going through a rough patch right now and that's why he's rarely his bubbly self unless he's drunk or around Kageyama (or Suga but he isn't physically introduced yet). It will all be explained in later chapters. Hope you enjoyed!

**Author's Note:**

> The title is inspired from the song When Two Are One by Atreyu. Aaah, listen to the song and it describes everything I have planned for this fic. I'll be updating as much as possible!


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